Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-02-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 1887

Interstate Commerce bill, and who
will succeed Secretary Manning? are
two questions that are causing much
speculation just now. 1t having been
pretty definitely settled that Mr.. Man.
ming will soon resign the portfolio of
the Treasury, political gossips have
fixed the date of his retirement and
elevated half a dozen men to his place
in the Cabinet.
Among these is the wealthy Penn
sylvania Congressman, Mr.. William
Scott, who has frequently been men,
toned before as the next Secretary Of
the Treasury. But Mr.. Scott is re-
ported as saying that he will quit pub
lie life as soon as his term in Congress
expires. He says he is tired of public
life, and that he loses 81 900 per day
by being in Congress.
Senator Mcpherson, of New Jersey,
has also been spoken of as successor
to Mr.. Manning since he is in SYM
pathy with the Presidents ideas on
questions of finance, and the latest
theory OF Minister Pendlcton's return
to America is that he has been called
home to take a Cabinet position. But
the President has a very high opinion
of the abilities of Assistant Secretary
Fairchild, who conducted the affairs
of the department during the long i'll
ness of Mr.. Manning, and on whose
shoulders have fallen much important
business. In the opinion of most poll
ticians he is more likely to he appoint
ed than any other who has been men,
toned.
The probable fate of the Interstate
Commerce bill is equally provocative
of gossip and speculation, and the
presence here of a number cf promi-
nent railroad men Just at the time
when the bill is in suspense has been
much commented upon. The Presi-
dent has until Saturday to dispose of
the measure. The ten days within
which he can legally act on it will ex-
pire Saturday evening. He has exam
ined the Congressional debates on the
bill and has given the subject thorough
and careful consideration. Even if he
vetoes it, the friends of the measure
claim that there will be no trouble in
passing it over the veto, as the vote on
the bill showed that more than two
thirds of each house was in favor of it.
Among some interesting adverse re-
ports from the House Committee on
Pensions, is one upon the bill granting
a pension to Mr.. Logan. 1t says,
should Congress pass the bill and by
future legislation maintain that fair
ness and consistency which should
characterize all legislation, the widows
of 259 major generals and rear ad-
mirals would be given a pension of So, :
600 II year each. 1t went on to say
that it was well known that hundreds
of poor widows of brave soldiers were
denied $l2 Il month because of their
inability to connect the death of their
husbands with their military service,
while in the case of Gen. Logan it was
not claimed that his death was attrib-
utable to his service in the war. 1t
was well known that Mrs. Logan was
now, through the generosity of friends
and strangers, i'll possession of an am
pie estate, and while the committee
expressed the highest regard for both
her and Gen. Logan, they believed
that the passage of this and all SINH
lar bills would be in the direction of
building up in this country an aristoc-
racy contrary to the very principles
of an equal government for all.
The report closed with the statement
that the committee believed that the
proposition to pension Mrs. Logan
originated in an emotion arising from
the sudden and unexpected death of
her husband, and was not the deliber-
ate Judgment of the people. Next
Wednesday has been set apart in the
Senate as memorial day for General
Logan, and among those who will
speak in culogy of him are Senators
Edmunds, Evarts, Allison, Mandcr-
son, Plumb, Spooner, Frye, Hawley,
Cullom, Stanford, Morgan, Cockrcll,
Hampton, Ransom and Blackburn.
Senator Farwell, the successor of
Gen. Logan, says he does not intend
to be an obstructionist. He cast his
first vote in the Senate in favor OF wo-
man suffrage, and he also voted to
confirm the colorcd lawyer from AL
bany as Recorder of Deeds. He says
the President is responsible to the
country for his acts, and SO he means
to let him have his own way and even
help him to have his own way. lie
added something about the Senate de-
generating into Il mere wasp's nest,
bent ON Worrying and nagGing the
President just because it has IA chance.
Dem.